The file import facility allows you to import metadata records in XML format or MEF format or copy/paste XML metadata to insert. In order to use this facility, you have to be logged in as an editor. After the login step, go to the administration page and select the Metadata insert link.

Clicking the link, you will open the metadata import page. You have to specify a set of parameters to make the import working. Depending on the insert type you will perform:

For both, XML and MEF file import, you could choose actions to be performed at import.
Import actions options are: No action on import (nothing
done during import process), Overwrite metadata with same UUID
(this option will delete existing metadata with the same UUID, and add the new one),
Generate UUID for inserted metadata (this option will force a new
UUID for each metadata inserted).

Stylesheet option: This is a powerful option because allows you to specify a stylesheet for
an XSL transformation. The drop down control is filled with files taken from the
web/xsl/conversion/import folder: all XSL files you put there will be made available.
This is a dynamic process so you don’t have to restart GeoNetwork. The purpose of this option
is to allow the conversion of a metadata into a suitable format that is supported by GeoNetwork.
Validate option: This is a simple validation step that you can choose to perform.
The metadata is validated against its schema. Group option: You have to select a group to
associate to the imported metadata. Usually the group is the creator of the metadata set.
Category option: You can specify one category to associate to your metadata in order to
simplify the search.

The batch import facility allows you to import a set of metadata into the
system all at once. In order to use this facility, you have to be logged in as
an administrator. After the login step, go to the administration page and select
the batch import’s link.

How to reach the batch import page

Clicking the link will open the batch import page. You have to specify a set of parameters to make the import working.
They are:

Directory This is the full path on the server’s file system of the directory
to scan. GeoNetwork will look for and try to import all XML or MEF files present
into this directory. It is important to notice that this is the directory on the
server machine and not on the client of the user that is doing the import.
Import actions options are also available from bacth import (please refer to
XML import for options you could use). Validate This is a simple validation
step that you can choose to perform. The metadata is validated
against its schema. Group You have to select a group to associate to the
imported metadata. Usually the group is the creator of the metadata set.
Category You can specify one category to associate to your metadata in order to
simplify the search. Stylesheet This is a powerful option because allows you to
specify a stylesheet for an XSL transformation. The drop down control is filled
with files taken from the web/xsl/conversion/import folder: all XSL files you
put there will be made available. This is a dynamic process so you don’t have to
restart GeoNetwork. The purpose of this option is to allow the conversion of a
metadata into a suitable format that is supported by GeoNetwork. Therefore, it
is important that the result of the transformation matches the schema format
selected above.

Below the page, there are the following buttons:

Back Goes back to the administration form. Upload Starts the import process.
When the process ends, the total count of imported metadata will be shown.
Please notice that the import is transactional: the metadata set will be fully
imported or fully discarded (there are no partial imports). Files that starts
with ’.’ or that do not end with ’.xml’ are ignored.

An hidden feature of the batch import is the possibility to specify some
import parameters in more detail. This feature is triggered when the
specified folder contains the import-config.xml file. When this happen, this
file is read and the standard import switches to the structured one.

The import-config.xml file has a config root element with the following children:

categoryMapping [1]: this element specifies the mapping of
directories to categories.

mapping [0..n]: This element can appear 0 or more times
and maps one directory name to a category name. It must have
a dir attribute that indicates the directory and a to
attribute that indicates the category name.

default [1]: This element specifies a default mapping of
categories for all directories that do not match the other
mapping elements. It must have only the to attribute.

schemaMapping [1]: this element specifies the mapping of
directories to metadata schemas.

mapping [0..n]: This element can appear 0 or more times
and maps one directory to the schema name that must be used
when importing. The provided schema must match the one used
by the metadata contained into the specified directory,
which must all have the same schema. It must have a dir
attribute that indicates the directory and a to attribute
that indicates the schema name.

default [1]: default behaviour to use when all other
mapping elements do not match. It must have only the to
attribute.

The import procedure starts by scanning the provided directory. This can
contain, beside the import-config.xml file, only subdirectories which name
will be ignored but used only as a container. Inside each directory, there
is another level made only by directories that represent a metadata grouping
for categories. Each directory name will be used as the dir attribute in the
mapping scheme previously described.